This invention relates to swimming goggles and more particularly to swimming goggles having a bridge means connected between a pair of lens holders opposed to and spaced from each other so as to form a part of lens frames.
Swimming goggles are usually provided with a bridge connected between a pair of lens holders opposed to and spaced from each other so as to form a part of the lens frames. One of the conventional bridges is made from a flexible material in a flat belt-like shape adapted to be freely deformed following an individual wearer and thereby to avoid feeling incompatible feeling as it comes in contact with the wearer""s nose. Another bridge of well known art is previously shaped so as to be curved forward with respect to the face of the goggle wearer. One example of the flat belt-shaped bridge is that of the swimming goggles disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,300 (referred to hereinafter as a first goggles of prior art) and one example of the curving forward bridge is that of the swimming goggles disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,064 (referred to hereinafter as a second goggles of prior art).
FIG. 6 of the accompanying drawings is a schematic plan view showing the first goggles of prior art. Referring to FIG. 6, a bridge 1 is formed on its rear surface with a plurality of stopper projections 3a, 3b spaced one from another in a longitudinal direction of the bridge 1. These stopper projections 3a, 3b may be selectively engaged with a pair of connector pieces 6 extending inward from opposite inner side edges of the respective lens holders 4 to connect the bridge 1 to the respective lens holders 4. A distance between the lens holders 4 can be adjusted by changing over positions of each pair of the stopper projections 3a, 3b one from another.
Solid lines on upper part of FIG. 6 shows the bridge 1 as the swimming goggles are properly worn by the swimmer. In this state, the bridge 1 is curved along an upper edge contour of the wearer""s nose and gasket skirts 5 associated with the respective lens holders 4 also are placed closely against peripheral regions (not shown) of the wearer""s eyes.
However, the face is different with respect to its shape as well as its size for each wearer and, depending on the shape of the wearer""s face, there may occur a case in which the left lens holder 4 is displaced to a counterclockwise direction while the right lens holder 4 is displaced to a clockwise direction about the wearer""s nose as viewed in FIG. 6 and the bridge 1 is deformed until it is substantially flattened. In such case, pressure with which the goggles should be tightly pressed against the wearer""s face may be slackened and consequently the tightness with which gasket skirts 5 thereof should be pressed against the wearer""s face in the peripheral regions of the wearer""s eyes, particularly in the vicinity of inner eye corners is reduced. Thus inside of the goggles may often be filled with water flown into from apertures in the peripheral regions of the wearer""s eyes.
Such problem is primarily due to the fact that flexibility of the bridge 1 is uniform over the entire region of the bridge 1 and excessively high.
With the goggles of prior art shown in FIG. 6, the wearer is required to undertake a troublesome adjustment, for instance, to move by sliding the bridge 1 from a position defined by a stopper projection 3a to a position defined by a stopper projection 3b so as to reduce the distance between the opposite lens holders 4 as indicated on a lower part of FIG. 6 by chain lines.
Though not shown, the second goggles of prior art is characterized in that the bridge has a cross-section smaller in its intermediate region extending between the opposite lens holders than in its regions adjacent to the respective lens holder. More specifically, the cross-section of the bridge 1 is gradually enlarged from its intermediate region toward the respective lens holders so that flexibility of the bridge 1 is gradually decreased from the intermediate region toward the respective lens holders.
With the goggles having such bridge configuration, the bridge is deformed more easily in its intermediate region than in the remaining regions and it is difficult for these goggles to ensure a desired self-shape-retention. In other words, the curve of its initial shape is apt to be largely straightened.
Thus, the second goggles of prior art may have the problem similar to the problem accompanying the first goggles of prior art.
It is an object of this invention to solve the problem by a relatively simple means.
According to this invention, there are provided swimming goggles basically comprising a pair of lenses and a pair of lens frames being more soft and flexible than said pair of lenses, the lens frames including annular lens holders to hold the lenses and gasket skirts extending from rear edges of the lens holders, and further comprising a connector member extending between the lens holders to connect the lens holders to each other.
The connector member is provided in a form of a bridge extending between the lens holders and having intermediate regions extending between the lens holders and opposite end regions defined between the intermediate region and respective lens holders wherein the bridge has a flexibility lower in the intermediate region than in the opposite end regions.
In addition to the basic configuration as has been described above, this invention may be implemented in other manners as follow. For example, the bridge has a gradient in flexibility increasing from a middle zone of the bridge bisecting the length of the bridge toward respective lens holders.
In another preferred embodiment of this invention, the gradient in flexibility of the bridge is defined by a cross-sectional shape and/or a cross-sectional area of the bridge.
In still another preferred embodiment of this invention, the bridge is curved in a convexed shape to the front of a goggles wearer""s face.
In further another preferred embodiment of this invention, the bridge is formed integrally with the lens frames using the same flexible material as the material of the lens frames.
In an additional preferred embodiment of this invention, the bridge is formed by a flexible material different from the material for the lens holders and coupled at opposite ends of the bridge to the lens holders.
An alternative embodiment is also possible, in which the lens frames inclusive of the bridge are formed by rubber or plastic elastomer.
Finally, it is also possible to implement this invention in a manner such that each of the lens is formed in a shape of a cup provided on its peripheral walls with at least one rib, on one hand, and each of the lens holders is provided on its inner peripheral wall with a groove so that the rib may be water-tightly engaged with the groove.
It will be obviously understood that the swimming goggles according to this invention are added with a head strap detachably connected to the opposite outer sides of the respective lens frames when the swimming goggles are supplied as the complete swimming goggles which can be practically used by the swimmer.
With the swimming goggles according to this invention, the intermediate region of the bridge less flexible than the remaining region acts to retain stably its initial shape of the curve due to a given self-shape-retaining property during use of the goggles regardless of differences in shape as well as in size of the face of an individual wearer. The opposite end regions of the bridge having relatively high flexibility are appropriately deformed in conformity with a contour of the face of the individual wearer.
It should be noted that there is no possibility that the difference between the lens holders might be enlarged as the opposite end regions of the bridge are deformed in conformity with a shape and a size of the individual wearer""s face.
Therefore, the gasket skirts associated with the respective lens holders can be stably and water-tightly contacted with the regions around the wearer""s eyes.
In this way, it is unnecessary for the swimming goggles according to this invention to include an arrangement such that the bridge is slidably moved and engaged with the lens holders to adjust the distance between the lens holders depending on the size of the individual wearer""s face as the conventional swimming goggles have been the case.